What is an advance health care directive?

An advance health care directive (AHCD) is a legal document that allows a person to make decisions about their healthcare ahead of time. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as selecting a health care agent, designating end-of-life care preferences, and recording any treatments they may want to avoid. In Kansas, an advance health care directive is legally binding, which means that the document will be followed if it becomes necessary. A person’s AHCD will stay in effect until it is changed or revoked. For this reason, it is important to keep the AHCD updated and accurate. In an AHCD, a person may indicate their wishes for medical treatment if they become unable to make decisions on their own. This includes decisions about things like life-sustaining treatments, organ donation, pain management, and more. It also gives them the chance to appoint someone to make decisions on their behalf. This person is typically referred to as their health care agent. An AHCD gives people in Kansas the right to make decisions about their medical care ahead of time, so that they don’t have to worry about their wishes not being followed if something happens to them. Having an AHCD in place as part of an overall estate plan can give peace of mind that a person’s wishes will be followed in the event of an unexpected illness or injury.

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